It’s a little weird, at first, to get your head around a mixed drink which ends up about the same strength as beer or hard cider, but once you get past that, it’s really refreshing, especially with all the hot weather we’ve been having lately.

OK, fine, it’s a lemonade with a dash of Calvados, but what’s wrong with that? I’ve been making them all week, much to the dismay of the level on the side of the bottle. The bitters were a bit of a modification, but you’ll see them in quite a few of the upcoming Coolers, along with other weird and unpredictable items.

Speaking of Coolers, as far as I can tell the only real “category” delimitations regarding Coolers are that they should be served in a tall glass, say a 14 ounce Collins Glass, and that they should be sparkling. Some have citrus, some don’t. Some have bitters, some don’t. Some have a lump or two of ice, and some don’t. One even uses Ginger Ale instead of Soda Water. As far as I can tell, as long as it is fizzy and in a tall glass, it can be called a Cooler.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the drinks in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, the, uh, Sauterne Cup.